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Gopi had won the Asian marathon title in Dongguan, China in 2017, had qualified for the 2016 Olympics where he finished 25th, achieved 28th position in the 2017 World Championships in London, bettering it to 21st position in the 2019 World Championships in Doha.
“You have to be mentally very strong to run a marathon. I had a passion for running which was fueled further when I joined the Army. The Army Sports Institute has produced some of the best athletes over the years and it has helped a lot to shape my career,” the 31-year-old said on Saturday.
The Vasai-Virar Mayor’s Marathon (IBVVMM) started as a state-level event in 2011, coming under the aegis of Athletic Federation of India (AFI) the following year.
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The four timed categories at VVMM are Full Marathon (42.195km), Half Marathon (21.097km), 11 km Open Run, 5 km Open Run and Dhamaal Dhav (4km), according to organizers.